The Black Flag
by Scrap Metal Skeleton
Summary: While caught in a huge storm Usopp, Luffy and Chopper are thrown over board. Will Usopp find the strength to save his nakama or will they all drown in the maelstrom?
1. The Break Down

**I've been writing all day, guys, and I'm having a blast! I should probably be doing my homework, or at least, ya know, finishing that other sorry excuse for a fanfiction…**

* * *

The waves smashed against the Merry, tossing her back and forth. The cargo, barrels of water and rum, boxes of food and other supplies, broke from their holds and tumbled freely below deck, adding more motion to the already dangerously swaying ship. On deck, the crew fared no better, as they too were tossed from side to side, barely able to keep upright.

"Usopp!" the orange-haired woman yelled over the roaring maelstrom, "Go down below deck and re-secure the cargo! That much weight shifting freely could capsize us!"

"Easy for you to say!" he yelled back grasping the railing in one hand and shielding his face from the rain with the other.

The rain. Oh the rain, it fell like bullets in all directions. Unrelenting, it prickled their skin like thousands of tiny needles. The rain was freezing but searing at the same time.

Eventually the long-nosed man found his way to the hatch that lead below deck. The door was slick with rainwater and his hands fumbled with the latch. His fingers shook, desperate to get below deck and secure their goods before they were flipped over.

Before they drowned.

Finally, to his relief, the latch came undone and he lifted up the hatch. He made his way to the cargo hold, grabbing a few reels of extra rope as he went.

To say it was a mess was a bit of an understatement. What wasn't busted open and leaking its contents was sure soon to be as the remaining barrels and boxes toppled and slid across the wooden floor. With haste he removed the torn rope from the knob and attached the new one. He then began grabbing barrels and crates and fortifying them down until they all were appropriately fastened. It did not take long as there were only four or five, the rest were smashed and their remains adorned the floor like confetti after a party. He knew that this would be a major problem after they survived the storm.

If they survived the storm.

The though lurked in his head like a feral animal stalking him in the grass, thirsty for his blood. He pushed it away, as far as he could get it, but still it loomed. He shook his head and started up toward the deck. His nakama probably would want his help.

He pushed the hatch up slightly but reeled back and nearly fell back down the ladder as the hatch swung open and rain water poured in. He regained his balance and emerged from the door, closing his eyes to slits as the wind and rain again cut at his skin. He closed the hatch behind him.

"All secure, Nami!" he yelled to the navigator as she relayed an order to Zoro.

"Good! Help Luffy with the sails! They keep coming undone! Chopper! You go too!" she yelled and then returned to relaying orders to Sanji and Zoro.

There was never a moment of peace, but who'd expect one in the middle of a typhoon?

He stumbled to the ropes and began climbing up to the mast. Luffy was already at the top, desperately trying to furl the sails on both sides with his rubbery arms.

"Usopp!" he called, smiling a toothy smiled, happy to see his friend.

The ropes normally securing the sails to the mast were in shreds and whirled around in the wind. Luffy's arms were intertwined with the sails and rope, sloppily but effectively holding the sails together. But Luffy was needed down below, and it's not like he could just hang on the mast for the remainder of the storm.

God! Usopp mentally cursed himself, why hadn't he brought more rope!

"Luffy! Chopper!" the both looked at their friend, "I'm going to go back down below deck to get some more rope!"

"'kay!" the boy yelled, his voice slightly muffled by some of the sails slipping from his arms and into his face.

Chopper nodded, holding onto the mast and the sails for dear life.

Usopp prepared himself to descend to the deck, but before he even turned around, the mast gave a sudden jerk as a large wave crashed into the ship. There was a crackling noise, slow at first, but it grew into several booming creaks and cracks of splintering wood as the mast gave way and plummeted into the angry indigo waters below. The mast hit the waters with a loud splash and dipped down about ten meters under before bobbing back up to the surface.

The frigid water nipped at their flesh and for the two with abilities, it stole their energy like blowing out a candle. Luffy's arms were still wrapped around the mast, tangled in the torn ropes. He was barely conscious.

"Chopper!" Usopp yelled as he noticed the reindeer was no longer bear hugging the sails, "Damn, he must have fallen into the ocean!"

He grabbed some of the torn rope and dove under the water. He didn't have to go far as he hit below the surface he noticed a small lump in the tangled sails. Chopper had luckily been caught by the clumsily folded, somewhat furled sails. He grabbed the reindeer and pulled himself and the small doctor onto the mast.

"Chopper! Hey, Chopper!" he yelled shaking his small body. He didn't stir. Usopp looked up searching for the Merry. Searching for help. It was dark and the rain kept him from seeing much, but as lightning stuck he could see her faint outline in the distance. They were drifting from her fast in a current. A current pushing her and the rest of his nakama away and a current pulling him, on her mast, in the opposite direction.

"OIIII!" he called, waving his arms.

No response.

"OIIII!" he called again.

No response.

Again.

No response.

Again.

No response.

He called until the Merry was nothing more than a speck on the horizon. Only then did he yield; his throat was raw and dry.

He looked back to his captain and the unconscious reindeer in his arms.

"I guess we're on our own then," he said bracing himself and his nakama for an upcoming wave.

The storm lasted at least another two hours. Two hours of being plugged into the water and then nodding straight back up. Two hours of constantly bracing for impact of careening waves. Two hours of keeping his two friends as much out of the water as possible and two hours of monitoring their chests for a rise and then a fall.

It was the waves that ceased first, and then the rain finally stopped coming down in sheets, and then the sky opened up to reveal a Sun that he thought had long since abandoned them. It was certainly a sight for sore eyes.

His breath came in sharp gasps, he was exhausted and he was sore and he was relieved. Relieved especially when his eye caught an island in the distance. Small, but an island all the same.

Setting Chopper on his lap he began paddling with his arms toward land, hoping, _trusting,_ that it was not a mirage.

As he reached land he was reminded that Luffy had been tangled in the ropes. Worse, now. He hadn't untangled them in fear he would lose Luffy to the sea. Holding Chopper and himself on the "raft" was enough a chore as it was. His legs felt like jelly, but he heaved himself up and carried Chopper to shore, lying him down on the dry sand. He then made his way back, stumbling under his own weight. As he reached the raft, he tripped but luckily caught himself on the sails. Breathing hard, he again heaved himself up and went to work on disentangling the ropes fortifying his captain to the mast.

The rope had weaved itself tight around his arms and somehow around his torso and legs, luckily, not around his neck. The knots were tight, luckily not enough to stop all blood flow, and them being soaked in seawater only made it worse. Luffy's skin under them was raw and bleeding and probably stinging with the seawater. He could not get them undone. Remembering he had not taken off his bag he opened it and rummaged through it in search of a serrated object. All he found was a small pocket knife. He wasn't a knife kind of guy, but this would have to work. He pulled out the saw tool and began cutting away at the lines. It took some work, but eventually he made it through them. As he cut through the last one he felt something against his leg. A large piece of black, torn fabric gathered around his leg. Their flag. He picked it up and slung it over his shoulder and dragged Luffy to shore, laying him beside Chopper. He threw the flag over them both and dropped to his knees. He was too tired to do anything else. They were safely out of the raging waters and that's all that mattered to him. He closed his eyes and welcomed sweet, sweet slumber. But perhaps slumber is too kind a word, so let's call it torpor.

* * *

**Originally this was supposed to be a One Shot. I have absolutely no plot for this story whatsoever, I just sorta started writing, but I can make a plot if I continue it. I wasn't expecting to start writing another story before I finished La Trejedora unless it was a One Shot, however, if there is even one person that thinks I should continue, I'll continue. This was more enjoyable to write than La Tejedora, and I think it's better written too! GAH, no plot, no plan and it's better?! What the heck brain?**


	2. It's Not Surgery

**Alrighty-then! I guess I'll be continuing this fic then! Be sure to tell me what you think about it! How can I improve? Where do you feel I preformed well at?**

* * *

When he woke his muscles ached and his mouth and throat were dry, as if he had just swallowed a mouthful of sand. By the position of the Sun, it was probably still early morning. He looked over to his two friends. They were sleeping normally, snores and all. The flag was still hastily draped over the two. The raw rope marks covering his captain were now caked in dried blood. Ignoring his aching muscles, he made his way around to Chopper and shook him lightly.

"Chopper?"

"Mmm?" the reindeer cracked an eye open, "Usopp?" He opened his eye fully, "Huh? W-where are we?" He sounded very tired, his voice was quiet and weak.

"Don't you remember? We were on the mast and it fell into the ocean. We got separate from the Merry and the others."

"Oh, yeah I remember now. I fell into the sea and lost consciousness," he said yawning and then rubbing his eyes, "We're probably dehydrated from prolonged exposure to seawater; we should find water as soon as possible."

Then he noticed Luffy.

"Ah! I forgot Luffy was with us!" jumping onto his feet, "Huh? Rope burns?"

"He got tangled in the mast and I…sort of…left him like that until we got here last night," Usopp said, a tinge of obvious guilt in his voice.

"D-don't feel bad Usopp! Um, you saved us didn't you!? A few burns – Luffy won't be mad at all!"

"Y-yeah."

Chopper smiled, trying to reassure his friend.

"Come on, help me bandage him."

Usopp obliged, taking the roll of gauze from the doctor and started wrapping his friend's wounds after Chopper had thoroughly cleaned them out with hydrogen peroxide. On contact, the liquid made a loud hissing sound. Usopp cringed; it probably would hurt, if Luffy wasn't such a dang-good sleeper. Luffy was pale and had dark purple-blue circles under his eyes. Usopp was sure that if Chopper wasn't covered in fur, he'd look the same. He glanced over to Chopper, he too, looked dead tired. He looked like Hell. His brown fur was messy and covered in sand. In some areas it was still matted down, wet with sea water. Every once and a while his head would dip and he would yank it right back up, eyes wide, willing them not to close again. His breathing was heavy and slow and labored too. Usopp didn't need to be a doctor to tell his friend needed to rest.

"Hey, Chopper, maybe you should rest. I can clean his wounds and dress them."

" 's fine. I'm the ship's doctor; it's my job."

"But we aren't on a ship."

Chopper looked up at him so fast he might have thought he gave himself whiplash. He was surprised to say the least. Merry was probably most important to Usopp, so how could he so plainly say that?

"And it's not like it's surgery. Of course, for the Great Captain Usopp, surgery would be nothing too!"

Chopper smiled weakly too drained to make any other gesture, "Okay, but wake me up in a little bit! You need rest too!" He pointed at Usopp with his hoof before laying down in the sand on the other side of Luffy.

The Sun was nice. After a storm like that, having the warm, welcoming rays beat on his skin was a change for the better.

It didn't take him long to bandage Luffy. The boy looked peaceful in his sleep, like to him that huge storm hadn't happened at all. But anyone could see it had taken a toll on his body.

The next thing he noticed was his throat. Dry and raw from screaming and from the sea water. Chopper did say they were all probably dehydrated. He glanced over to Chopper who was still sleeping peacefully on the other side of their captain. They both looked so tired. He couldn't imagine what it was like to have been in a storm like that as a Devil Fruit User. He didn't know much about how it felt, they never really went into detail about it. All he knew was that they lost all strength, but was there something more to it than that? He tossed the idea around in his head and then filed it away. Maybe he'd ask one of them later, but right now he needed to get some fresh water.

As he stood the muscles in his legs screamed and beckoned him to sit back down. He ignored their cries and cursed himself for not finding shelter to lay his friends in after the storm. They'd just been lying in the middle of the beach, completely exposed to everything…and everyone, which he hoped was not a factor in their ordeal, unless it was their nakama, of course. He really didn't want to disturb them, as they probably needed the rest and it's not like he had the strength to carry them. So being the genius Captain Usopp, he decided to grab a large piece of the already shredded sail and put up a makeshift tent with a few branches and broken wood that had fallen off the mast. Proud with his work, he covered Chopper under the black flag again and then headed toward the greenery a few meters away.

This island was very small; there was only a handful of trees and other plants. Most of the island was made up of pearly, white sand. It was more like a sand bar than an island. He ventured into the vegetation, which was surprisingly thicker than his eyes made it out to be. He broke through the shrubs and searched every nook, every cranny, but he couldn't find even a stream. He was about to leave when he heard a splash behind him. He jerked around, fully expected to see a gun pointed in his face or a sword or a canon, just, something bad, but no one was there. Instead, kneeling down, he found a small pool of water, a coconut bobbing up and down in the middle.

For a moment relief poured over him, but his the bitter feeling returned when he recalled something Chopper had said a while ago about water that was just sitting around without any flow. He had used the word "stagnant" and said that it was a breeding ground for bacteria and parasites; obviously not safe to drink. He sighed standing again, when it struck him.

Literally.

He recoiled back and nearly toppled over into the pool of water as a coconut again fell from the tree above and crashed into his skull. He fell backwards into the brush. After a moment he regained his bearings and sat up. Grabbing the large seed, he nearly threw it as far as he could in rage until he heard a slosh and remembered the water that they were full of. As long as they weren't pierced or broken coconut milk was usually sterile and safe for drinking. As a plus, they could eat the white meat on the inside. Peering up into the coconut-dressed trees he smiled, no longer paying any heed to the throbbing lump on his head. He had found food and water, of course, there was never really any doubting the Great Captain Usopp.

* * *

**Not much action in this chapter, but thankfully I know where I'm going with this and have a plot now!**


	3. Cellars

**Got another one up thanks to the weekend. I've also managed to deprive my brain of enough sleep to come up with yet another idea for a fanfiction...before I've finished the ones I started. Needless to say, I won't be starting that one until I've finished at least La Tejedora. It'll be a rather dark one, too. :)**

* * *

Getting the coconuts out of the trees was no issue. Grabbing a few metal pellets and his slingshot, Usopp knocked down as much as he saw necessary, and with Luffy it was probably close to 20. With carrying them came the problems. He stuffed as many as he could into his bag but still found about half of them before him. Not wanting to take two trips, he decided to carry them all at once. One he even carried in his mouth, not the most practical means, but it was effective long enough to reach his nakama.

Upon reaching them he spilled the contents of his arms into the sand.

Wait. Pause. Rewind.

He looked over at his ingeniously put together tent.

One.

One? Not two?

Shit.

Luffy wasn't no longer sleeping noisily next to his smaller reindeer nakama. Usopp threw his hand over his face, signing. Of course he wasn't! He's Luffy! He is hardly seen resting and of course he'd go off to explore when he woke. Usopp regained his composure and sought over his options. He didn't want to leave an exhausted Chopper in the middle of the beach. Ah! He could carry Chopper over to the forest! Chopper was hardly a chore to carry and he was so tired he probably wouldn't even stir! Ingenious!

Usopp was about to execute his ingenious idea when something caught his eye. Something on the sea. Something big, bigger than the Merry. Something with blue seagulls painted on its sails.

M.A.R.I.N.E.

As if it could get any worse, the ship's sails moved and the ship began heading toward the island.

He was frozen in fear, legs of jelly beneath him.

"Cho-chop…'er…Chop'r." He scrambled to his knees and began to shake his friend, "Oi! Chopper! Wake up!"

"What?! What?!" Chopper frantically shook himself, "Huh? Usopp?"

"We gotta go, now!"

"What? Why?"

"The Marines! They Marines are coming! Luffy ran off! We gotta go hide!"

"AH! The Marines!?" the reindeer's eyes popped from his skull as he took notice of ship closing in.

They scrambled to their feet and darted for the brush.

"Ah! The flag!" Usopp turned on his heels and rushed back to retrieve it. Throwing over his shoulder he again darted for the brush. He ran through the leaves and vines, Chopper hot on his heels. The brush was so thick he could hardly see anything; his arms flailed about wildly pushing as many out of the way as he could. As he leapt over a fallen tree, he lost balance, landing on something soft…and wearing a red vest.

"Agh!" the black-haired boy yelped as his friend's heel dug into his side.

"L-luffy!" Chopper yelled happily from the top of the fallen tree.

"Ah! Chopper! Usopp!"

"Luffy! You're here!?"

"Of course I'm here Usopp! You're the one who stepped on me!"

"Gah! That's not what I meant! I mean why did you leave the tent?!"

"Tent?! All I remember was the mast braking and falling off the ship, then I woke up standing in the middle of this forest."

"He must have been sleep-walking!" Chopper exclaimed.

"Then what were you doing under this log?"

"Oh! I saw a really weird beetle and I wanted to catch it but it crawled under this log and I tried to get it but it went really far so I tried to stretch to grab it but it got away and I couldn't get my hand out so I got stuck but I'm not anymore! Oh and then-"

A loud noise interrupted his story, "Hey, what the heck was that! Let's go see!" He said with bright eyes, "Maybe it's an adventure or meat! Maybe it's meat!" He shot up and started toward the noise only to be halted by a firm grip around his bicep.

"No! Luffy, it's the Marines! They're on the island! We've- we've got to hide!"

"The Marines? Maybe Smokey's here!" the boy gave his toothy grin and laughed. Usopp sincerely hoped that hadn't jinxed them. Smoker was bad news in any situation.

"Sir! I found something!" an unknown voice broke him from his thoughts.

"Luffy! We should hide before they find us!" Usopp said in a stern whisper, stilling gripping his friend's arm. Startled, Chopper leaped onto Usopp's shoulders, eyes frantically scanning the area.

"What's the big deal, they're just marines; we can take them! Besides what if they have meat?! I'm starving!"

Usopp was shocked, for once Luffy had made a good point. The island didn't have much of any food, and of course the marines would have some. If they wanted to survive until their nakama got there, their best chance was to steal food from the marines.

He sighed and looked up at his friend's still-smiling face, "Yeah, you're right we do need food but-" the boy interrupted him, jerking at his friend's compliance, "but we should be careful! If something happens we've got nowhere to go!" Usopp pleaded in a hushed voice that was surprisingly stern.

Luffy gave him a face of disappointment, but after a minute of thought he shook his head with enthusiasm, "Okay!"

Usopp sighed in relief, but his relief was replaced with panic when he heard movement in the underbrush behind them.

"Let's go!" Luffy shouted his arms in the air.

"AH! SHHH!" Usopp yelling in fear.

"A shout? Someone's here!" a voice spoke, followed by an increase in the rustling.

"AH! They found us!" Chopper squealed, nearly falling from his perch on Usopp's shoulders.

"GAH! RUN!" Usopp yelled, his eyes nearly popping out from his head in shock. He darted forward, Chopper's arms wrapped around his head, restricting his sight slightly, "Chopper! Can't see!"

Chopper only squeaked, moving his hooves slightly upward.

Luffy bounded behind them laughing like a mad-man, obvious enjoyment plastered on his face.

_Crap,_ Usopp thought, _where the hell do we go?_ His question was answered as tripped on something and face planted into the grass.

"Ah! Usopp!:" Chopper squeaked as he toppling off Usopp's shoulders.

"What? A hatch?"

"It must be a cellar or something!"

Usopp hastily opened the hatch.

Pitch-black nothingness.

Whatever was down there, they could not see.

"Chopper jump!" Usopp commanded.

"What?! We don't know what will happen!"

"We have to hide; it's safer than up here!"

"Yeah, but-!" Chopper began only to be cut off as Luffy caught up to them, stumbling and knocking all three into the strange cellar, the hatch slammed behind them, knocked closed by a flailing limb.

They fell onto the unseen, blackened floor, the footsteps and whispers above faded from their hearing.

It was black and still and silent.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUUNNNNN...**

**Cue cliche-ending-scene-that-probably-won't-make-any-s ense-next-chapter. **

**:D**

**I'll make the next chapter longer to make up for it.**

**I update a lot, bros. Writing is my life. .-.**

**K.**

**Bye.**


End file.
